Addiction to the Internet is real. On August 13th , 1997, the Internet Community was struck with what some have sarcastically dubbed: another yardstick of success. The Internet was awarded its first mental health disorder. PIU or Pathological Internet Use was the phrase coined by Dr. Kimberly Young, a leading expert on the subject; however, many came to refer to it simply as Internet Addiction.

Experts arent sure if its a new disorder, or a symptom of other disorders, or a combination of both. What they do know is there are some cases of extreme Internet addiction where addicted individuals stay on-line for hours/days neglecting other aspects of their lives such as work, school, and family.

In one reported case a 21 year-old man stopped going to classes and disappeared for a week, he was found by campus police in the schools computer labwhere he spent seven days straight online! If this person is you, please email us at theaddictedguy@geekculture.com. If this person is not you, and you are worried that you may be seriously addicted to the Internet and are looking for help, check out our Uplinks Geek Psychology section. For those of you who are addicted to shopping and the Internet, please go straight to our Webstore!